I’m the sort of person who tracks every single element of their workouts. In the gym you’ll find me scribbling down my sets, reps and weights, and it’s been more than a decade since I went on a run without my fitness tracker.
That all changed over the festive period, when I decided to try running without monitoring my pace or distance. I didn’t even track the length of time I spent on my jog. I simply slipped on my running shoes, opened the door and ran.
Not tracking my run had a number of unexpected benefits. The biggest surprise was that I actually enjoyed my run more than usual. Here are three other things I learned about myself after doing the experiment, along with the reasons why I’ll be doing it again.
1. Not monitoring my performance got rid of my pre-workout anxiety
I’m an incredibly competitive person. I usually feel a rush of anxiety before starting a timed run or CrossFit-style workout, because I’m desperate to improve on my previous attempts.
Running without a fitness tracker removed these pre-exercise butterflies; there’s no risk of underperforming when you’re not recording your performance. Instead of feeling nervous, I felt pleasantly calm before my run.
2. I run slower without my fitness tracker, which is a good thing
I’ve set myself the goal of becoming a better runner in 2024. When I’ve previously tried to improve my running efforts I’ve focused on running as quickly as I can, but a successful running plan should also feature a high proportion of long, slow runs to develop your aerobic capacity (the maximum amount of oxygen your body can use during exercise).
“Aerobic capacity is the basis of all your training and it has to be developed properly,” fitness and performance coach Thibo David tells me. “It’s an incredible tool that people overlook because it’s boring. You have to do a long, very slow run or get on a bike at a very slow pace [to improve it].”
I’m usually tempted to push my pace and post a semi-impressive time on Strava. But…
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